Rrrrr.....matey!

We had our church's Reformation party on Saturday night. Everything was in authentic Reformation style. I mean, everything! Food, games, and costumes. When I heard that the costumes had to be "Reformation appropriate" I just assumed that my boys would just not dress up because I didn't have anything for them to wear that would fit the theme.
When I picked up Walker after spending the night with YaYa last Wednesday, he walked out in the cutest little pirate costume. Charlotte had bought it at a garage sale back in the summer. But the more I thought about it, I remembered that I had seen the same costume at Old Navy a few weeks before. Since I was on my way to run errands right then, I made a stop at Old Navy just to see. Sure enough, there was ONE pirate costume hanging there in Will's size!!Can you believe it? What are the chances!?! I was so excited. They went from costumeless to the cutest little pirate costumes ever in one swift swoop!
So naturally, I took a million pictures. I couldn't help myself when I saw them all dressed up in them....

P.S- There might be a few more pics to come when we go trick-or-treating. And, yes, we are going....so, don't judge :-)

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Feeling crafty!

Jessica and I have been feeling crafty for some time now. We totally stole this idea for kids' shadowboxes from our friend, Maggie (thanks, Maggie, hope you don't mind :-) So, when Hobby Lobby was having their half off sale, we took advantage. Have you ever priced these things? Shadowboxes are expensive! I got two to start with, but I really want to go back and get two more to "craft". I'm thinking about doing Will's initials on one and an airplane on the other. The paper we bought (of course), but the letters, the orange outline around the letters, and the train we cut ourselves.You might not be able to tell from the pictures, but the brown letters are actually the inside of a cardboard box. Have you ever tried to cut letters out of a thick cardboard box? (Well, that's a silly question, of course you have, who hasn't) And then somehow cut out a decent whole in the middle for an "O"? I can assure you, it's not an easy task; it took me quite a while. Just ask Jessica :-) I actually still need to go back with an exacto knife and fix the O a little bit. Now, I know you can't tell this from the pics, but the train is three-dimensional with the help of some raised stickers. (It's actually raised quite a bit, so I am surprised that it's not showing up in the pics) It just gives an extra element of cuteness to it.
So, thanks, Jess, for letting me come over and make a huge mess with you. I know we looked hilarious concentrating seriously on our crafts. If we keep doing these craft nights, we're going to have to get ourselves a little craft carrying case or something :-)
I'm really excited to have some new cute things to put on the boys' walls. Hmmmm....now I just need to figure out which pre-existing wall hangings to replace with the shadowboxes.

Potty King!

Okay, so I gotta brag a bit about my little guy.

Last Thursday, after Will woke up in the morning, he took off his diaper. I wasn't planning on starting potty training that day, but I took that as a sign and I thought, today is no better than any other one to start. So we did. I spent all morning taking him to the potty every 30 minutes or so, but he never went. At about 12:00, he let out one little "spurt" on the floor, looked up at me with this panic look on his face and then stopped. So, I rushed him to the potty, but he held it and didn't go. About 1:45, he "spurted" again, rushed him to the potty, but wouldn't go again. So we sat.....and sat.....and sat on the potty. He would let out some more tiny"spurts" on the potty, but then look at me with that panicky look and stop every time. I wasn't giving up. He obviously needed to go. With candy, praise, and a catchy little song anxiously awaiting for the moment of success, we sat there while he cried and held himself in pain, (b/c the child had not peed all morning!!...and he woke up at 8:00!!), but was terrified to just let it out! I sat him on the potty at 1:45, and he didn't finally relieve himself until 3:52!!! Yes, he sat there for over 2 hours, people! Call me mean, but I knew this was a battle I had to win to make him know that it was okay to just GO in the potty!! I, of course, IMMEDIATELY gave him all the candy he could eat, lathered him in praise and held and rocked him until the little guy just tuckered out and went on to sleep. I felt terrible about the whole ordeal (he was crying as was I) because he was no doubt in some pretty intense pain from holding it all day long (8 hours, folks...YES, 8 HOURS!!!) Nobody can talk to me about a hard -headed child. I'm pretty confident that this takes the cake!

After he woke up from his nap, I reluctantly, but immediately put him back on the potty (I felt so bad b/c I knew he would be like, are you kidding me, woman...again??) but he went without any resistance.

From then to now, he has not had even one accident on the floor! Not even one! Can you believe it? I surely can't. And starting on Monday, he would come to me and say, "Need to tee-tee, momma." And would lead me to the potty and he would go. Even on some short errands that I just had to take in the last 5 days, he wouldn't go in his pull-up; he waits until we get home and I put him on the potty.

I'm just so thankful for yet another easier potty trainer! I know, I know, I'm completely spoiled, but I can't say I'm not happy about it. I feel a little guilty that Walker was potty trained a whole two months earlier than Will, but I couldn't be prouder of my baby (I guess I should now say, "big boy")

This is what Will's favorite outfit looks like these days:
Well.... you get the idea! Are you starting to see a pattern?
Reindeer antlers and backpack on top, boots on bottom, and, uh....nothing on the middle :-)

Pajama time!

"Hey mom, get this "cool trick!"...strange child!
WeirdnessSweetness
Freakiness
Preciousness
Cuteness!!!

A Saturday with daddy

The boys had a fun Saturday with Chandler while I thoroughly enjoyed a much needed day minus two little munchkins. Chandler took them to a birthday party this morning for a little girl in our church (Mia) and had a blast. All they need is candy, a little dirt, and any kind of motorized vehicle and they're all set! And they had all three so they were in little boy heaven! I finally came moseying on back home around 6 to find two very happy, content little faces. (notice I didn't say "3" happy, content faces :-) No, Chandler was happy to do it for me. We might have to make this a once a month type of thing, huh, Chandler?

I was proud of Chandler for being sweet enough to humor me by taking a couple of pictures while at the party.

Will's got his "party face" on!
All handsome and ready to go in their rubber boots...
I'm sure their bums were glued to those seats the whole time
Will: (*sigh*) Good grief, dad, when did you turn into MOM!
That's a deer (but of course you could tell that :-)
Will got a baseball painted on....and apparently some cheetos too :-)

Because he's just too fun to get all dolled up!

I was getting Will dressed for prayer meeting last night and couldn't help but snap some pictures. He just got some new (red stitched cuffed) jeans and they look so cute on him! I can't believe how big he looks in pants!! I love fall clothes. I feel like you just can accesorize with them more. Like with all the different style of shoes, rolling up the sleeves or not, belts, layering shirts, sweaters, jackets, and the list goes on.
I love this sweet little man!

Guess who thinks he can feed himself.....

We miss you already...

My parents came in town this weekend for a very short visit, about 23 hours, that is! My dad works Saturdays, and he thought he had Monday off from work (so it would've been a perfect weekend to come), but it turned out that they needed him to come in tomorrow at the last minute. So, they got in yesterday afternoon at about 4 and left today around 3. It was really sad to see them go, especially after just a short visit. But it was extremely sweet of them to travel all the way here just for a day! I know they were about to go crazy to see the boys (and they were beside themselves to see them too) since we haven't seen them since the last weekend in AUGUST!! Don't worry, the boys got enough attention and admiration crammed into one day than they would in a whole weekend, and loved every minute of it! Walker was really hurt when they had to go. In the car on the way back home, he kept on looking up at me with those blue eyes and pouty lips asking,"Why did they have to go, momma; why did they have to go?" I hated to see him sad, but it was just too cute!

So, without further ado, I'll leave you with some pictures!

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Rub-a-dub-dub; Their semiweekly fun in the tub!

Do any other moms give their kids a bath just a couple times a week? Maybe I'm a bad mother, but the boys only get bathed 2 (on a bad week) or 3 (on a good week) times per week. I just don't think they get that dirty, or maybe I just don't notice it :-) Also, I think it's something about blond-headed kids. I think just in general their hair doesn't look as dirty as it might really be. Who knows? Also, I've heard it's not as good for their skin and hair if you bathe them too much. Has anyone else heard that or know what I'm talking about? Well, even if it's only a few times a week, they absolutely LOVE their baths~they don't ever want to get out!








Hamming it up

My little "towel head"